Clasp



(No Model.)

' B.C.J0NBS..

CLASP. Y No. 379,229. `flasented Mar. 13, 1888.

7 awww/hoz @vda/Lames C( NITRD STATES ATENT OFFICE..

EDWARD C. JONES, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO RICHARD HIRTZ, OF DODGE CITY, KANSAS.

CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Ne. 379,229, dated March 13, 1888.

.Serial No. 244.573. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, EDWARD C. J oNnsa citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Locking-Clasps for Wearing- Apparel; andI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others to make and to use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The Object of my invention is to provide a locking grip-clasp for cuffs, neckties, and

other wearing-apparel which may be attached directly to the underwear or intermediately to the ordinary suspender,and will retain itshold effectually upon the fabric, and when strain is exerted increase the power of the grip and 2o lessen the liability of tearing the fabric," and it consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal side view of the clasp, showing thejaws in an open position and the cam in an upright position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the clasp in the position as shown in Fig. l, showing the slot and perforation to receive the locking-pin.

3o Fig. 3 isa side view of the clasp in a closed position. Fig. 4 shows iu side view an alternate form of construction to that shown in Fig. l. Fig. 5 is an edge view ofa clasp, showing the projections turned backward.' Fig. 6 is a detail view ofthe cam.

In the construction of my improved clasp I have designed the saine to be adapted to various uses, the most applicable of which are to garments or articles of personal wear'usnally 4o unsupported upon the wearer and which cannot be kept in pla'ce securely, and for this purpose I make the clasp preferably from steel and consisting of two longitudinal dat strips or plates, a c', narrow in width. One of said strips or plates, a, which in use will lie outwardly, I make longer than the strip or plate a. On the strip c', I make on opposite longitudinal edges,midway its length, the ears a2 ci, which are turned upwardly in a vertical relation to flat surface of the strip a', and perforated in a transverse relation7 the perforations being made close to the surface of the strip. I then place the strips a c' flatwise together, the strip a lying between the ears a2 a3, and one end of each strip a a iliade to extend in one direction nearly a corresponding length. I then insert a rivet, a4, through the opposite end of the strip a and also through thestrip a. Transversely through the outer strip, a, extending from a point above the ears ct'l ci' 6o inthe direction of the jaws of the grip, I make a slot, c, which extends nearly one-half the distance described by thejaws of the grip and is slightly decreased in width toward said free ends. I then punch with a proper instrument the depressions o in the outer surfaces of each strip a c along the free ends of the jaws sufficient to give grip to the clasp, leaving the points al upon the opposite inner sides of the said free ends or jaws ofthe clasp A. I then 7o cut from a dat piece of metal a cani-lever, B, which is constructed as follows: The lower portion, b, is of a width equal to the space between the opposite ears' c a3, and extends in height a distance above the said ears snflicient to throw the jaws of the clasp apart from a closed position, which is accomplished by the shoulders b b', which strike against the inner sides of the stri-p ct. The portion bIl of the cani-lever which joins the cani b is of a width 8o equal to that of the slot at the point above the ears o? ci, and is contracted in width toward the extreme end.

At a-point midway between the lears c2 t3 and the extreme free ends of the jaws or strips S5 o a', I make through said plate or strip a the perforation o8, and through the plate or strip c' a similar perforation', c, corresponding in a vertical relation with the perforation as, is so punched as to leave a depression on the oppo- 9o site side of the plate c.

On the lower and outer edges of the portion b of the cani-lever VB,.I affix the pivots b b3, which are placed in the perforation in the ears ctl a3. I then attach rigidly to the portion 13"', on the inner side ofthe cam-lever B, a pin, b4, which is slightly tapered at the point in a downward direction and enters the perforations a? a9 when the lever is thrown down. The portion b2 of the cam-lever is inserted roo through the slot a5 in the plate or strip a, so as to oscillate therein and when upright bear against the plate ce within the limits of slot a5. I then bend the upper plate or strip, a, aslight distance upwardly at an angle from the pivot a4 to the jaw of the clasp, and from that point to the end of the jaw in a horizontal relation.

The extreme end of the lever B is made with a curved end, b5, so as to give room for the lifting of the lever and the removal of the fabric from the jaws. The cam-lever B is also bent slightly forward at the point be, which permits the lever to lie iiatwise upon the plate a when the fabric is between the jaws of the clasp. The end of the plate or strip a is continued in a direction opposite to the jaws of the grip a slight distance from the rivet a,4 and then bent at right angle, and a button, C, pivotally secured to saidend of the strip a.

Instead of riveting the upper and lower strips or plates, a a', together, as in Fig. 1,.I may stamp the said plates in one piece and bend one upon another, forming a loop, am, at the end, which is given the tension of a spring.

The portion of the wearing-apparel which it is desired to support isintroduced between the jaws act of the clasp when in the position seen in Fig. l-as, for instance, when used for a cuff-holder the sleeve portion of the underwear will be inserted, and upon pressing the cam-lever B the plate, which is held apart by the cam b', acts to throw the lever down and the jaws of the clasp are brought firmly and evenly together upon the cloth, the projections on thejaws holding the material. As soon as the cam-lever B has closed, the pin b* then enters 7the perforations a and perforates the cloth, and also enters the puncture a, which extends so far upon the opposite side as to prevent the exposure of the sharpY point of the pin. To enable the strain upon the cloth to draw the jaws of the clasp more firmly together, I make the teeth f incline at an angle toward the ears ai a3 on the upper and lower jaws, as seen in Fig. 5.

The jaws of the clasp A being attached to the underwear, the button C is attached tothe cuffs, and as the clasp cannot slip in any manner, no wear upon the cloth is occasioned and only the slight puncture of the cloth is seen.

As seen in Fig. 4, the clasp may be attached' directly to a suspender, and in Fig. 5 I have designed the clasp to support the garments upon the person, the rivet a* passing directly through the button C and attaching said button to the plate a. In the form shown in Fig. 5 the end of the plate a of the clasp extending from the pivot a to the rear end of thejaws is curved outwardly and given the proper temper of a spring.

In Fig. 1 the plate a or base may be made rigid, if preferred, and the plate a tempered, if desired, to the proper degree to release the cloth.

Vhen the lever B is thrown down upon the spring-plate and the pin is in theperforations as a9, thesaid plate a is bearing upon the shoulders b b of the cam at an acute angle, and not only acting to close thejaws of the clasp, but also to keep the cam-lever pressed hard against the plate a.

I claiml l. A clasp consisting of an upper springcontracted bent plate and a lower plate snitably connected together at one end and having opposite parallel grip-jaws on their oppo site ends, and a cani-lever pivoted to said lower plate, said lever adapted to throw the jaws apart when elevated and to clasp upon said upper plate and jaw when depressed, substantially as described.

2. In a clasp, the combination of an upper spring-contracted bent plate provided with a longitudinal slot and a lower plate, said plates being suitably connected together at one end and provided with respective upper and lower grip-jaws upon their opposite ends, and a pinreceiving perforation in said upper jaw, a cam pivoted to said under plate beneath said slot and adapted to throw apartsaid jaws, and a lever attached at one end to said cam, extending through said slot, adapted to clasp upon said upper plate when depressed, and provided with a pin upon its opposite end for entering said perforation, as described.

EDVARD C. JONES.

Witnesses:

T. J. TILLEY, S. L. C. HAssoN. 

